


Package deal

by soulofaminaanima



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, after episode 31
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulofaminaanima/pseuds/soulofaminaanima
Summary: Fjord can't seem to grasp the idea that after all this time Caleb and Nott are still here. Jester has her say too and if you ask Beau and Caduceus, the two are just exaggerating.Happens somewhere on the road after episode 31.





	Package deal

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read.

“Still weird seeing these two here.” Fjord starts “I’d imagined them running off so many times before, never expected them to still be with us, especially after..” he trails off, letting the silence speak for itself. No one likes talking about the abduction that happened less than a month ago. Whenever someone mentions it, it’s always subtle and quickly mentioned. ‘When you were gone’, or ‘When the three weren’t with us’ and the conversation will hastily be continued. If Fjord or Jester don’t start about it, nobody else will mention it if they can help it.

Caduceus slowly turns around in his chair to see what Fjord is staring at while the half orc ponders over his friends discreetness. Nott and Caleb are standing over at the bar, waiting for the bar maid to notice them to take the group’s order for dinner and to ask some questions about the safest routes to Port Damali.

Caleb volunteered for the job at their arrival and Nott happily joined him, talking about maybe asking for the nearest tea shop for Caduceus. 

“They were really focussed on getting you back, you know.” Beau’s already nursing a drink, although Fjord has no idea where she got one. They’ve just arrived, for Dwendal’s sake. Beau’s unravelling one of her old bandages around her knuckles and sitting across from the monk is Jester, rummaging through her bag for clean linen. “Yeah, I still wish we could’ve seen the fight. You guys sure sounded awesome. I saw sooo many arrows lying around in that room, Nott must’ve shot them all.” 

Fjord nods, after weeks he’s still sour he couldn’t have been there to help his friends and see his bitch of an abductor go up in flames. “Yes, I was just thinking about Caleb. How he seems to have… grown somehow. A more active role in this group suits him.”

Over at the bar, their wizard had finally caught the attention of the maid and was currently asking her about something. At his side, Nott’s scanning the tavern for any threats. Fjord locks eyes with the rogue for a second before Nott moves on with her assessment of the room, nodding at him once.

“Hmmm yes, but he’s still very squishy, you know.” Jester leans over in his direction so she can see behind Caduceus and get a better look at their two friends. “Plus, he’s still... ‘Caleb’.” They all watch as Caleb methodically counts out his gold in his hands, not daring to make eye contact with the smiling barmaid. Fjord huffs an agreement at that.

“Nott changed too,” Jester continues “she solved our case all on her own and she kicked a lot of ass in Shady Creek.” Caduceus gives a hum in agreement, but Fjord’s not sure if it’s because he’s following the conversation at hand, or if he’s still thinking about something they talked about this morning.

“True, but I wouldn’t want to be the guy to cross Caleb either, you know.” Fjord feels the need to defend their wizard, since he himself underestimated Caleb many times before. “Oh, come on, Nott could take you down in a heartbeat!” Jester gives him a stomp on the arm as if to underline her case. Fjord, raising to the challenge turns to face her.

“I’d choose fighting Nott over Caleb any given day. Nott can do some magics, but it’s Caleb you have to worry about. He has calculated battle tactics and he knows-” Jester sputters loudly and interrupts him. “Pff, ‘calculated battle tactics’? Nott can fire twice as many arrows for every firebolt Caleb casts. Plus! Plus, she can hide better than anybody I know. If you want to hit her, you’d first have to find her!”

“You wouldn’t be able to shoot or cast anything once Caleb uses that slowness spell of his. Attacking so fast is useless once he puts that root in his mouth.”

Jester’s next argument dissolves into giggles, Beau wisely holds her mouth and takes another gulp of shitty alcohol. Fjord’s cheeks turn a shade darker as he catches the double meaning of his words. “I didn’t mean it like that! I’m just saying that I’d hate to fight Nott, but facing Caleb sounds way worse to me.”

“Choosing on over the other is pretty useless, you know. They’re kind of a package deal and fighting one means fighting the other.” Fjord nods at Jester’s assessment and returns his watchful gaze over the two at the bar. He wonders if the rest of the Nein fall under that deal too. 

The conversation falls in silence, all lost in their own thoughts as they watch Nott and Caleb finish their transactions at the bar. The human and the goblin both carry bowls with what seems to be stew over towards their table and Nott has a roll of paper tucked out of one of her pockets. Fjord’s not sure when or how she got it, since he’d been watching them for pretty much the whole time.

“Caaaaleb, that barmaid was definitely flirting with you, did you see that?!” Whatever kind of vibes Jester got from the lady, Fjord’s pretty sure Caleb, nor any of the other onlookers of their group got the same. The wizard sets the bowls down with a small, but fond sigh. “No, I did not and although I do appreciate the vote of confidence in our abilities, I’m pretty sure we have a task at hand that could use our attention.”

Fjord frowns “What- how did you? Frumpkin.” The orange tabby jumps on top of the table, circling between a few cups and Fjord’s stew, a stew he hastily retracts to make sure no hairs fall in. None of them had noticed the cat, or Caleb’s glassy look on his face as they were loudly gossiping about their friends. “Oooh, busted.” Beau jokes.

“Plus,” Nott continues with a smug grin on her face “we both know who the real deal of your rescue mission was.” She glances at Caleb and the human smirks back, knowingly. For all their sharing and openness with the group, the two of them are still slippery bastards that have a six months head start with each other before becoming the Nein with the rest of them and Fjord knows it.

“…Who was it?!” Jester asks in anticipation when neither explains it immediately.

“Beauregard.” They answer in unison.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me as @ghostofaminaanima on tumblr, or tell me in the comments what you think?


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